Kimberly Schlau serves as Voices Insisting on PursuitSAFETY’s Team Leader for the Midwest. She became involved with PursuitSAFETY, a national nonprofit public safety organization, about a year after the deaths of her two oldest girls, Jessica Uhl and Kelli Uhl.
Jessica, 18, and Kelli, 13, were killed November 23, 2007, when an Illinois state trooper was driving at a reported speed in excess of 120 miles per hour to respond to an accident scene that was already secured by other first-responders. He was talking on his personal cell phone while driving at this high rate of speed, lost control of his vehicle and crossed the median, striking their car and killing them instantly.
Since their deaths, Kim has dedicated herself to preventing the same type of tragedy from happening to other families. She is currently requesting that the stretch of Interstate 64 in St. Clair County, IL, from Mascoutah IL to Highway 158 (the crash site) be renamed "The Jessica and Kelli Uhl Memorial Highway" in hopes of encouraging drivers to slow down and drive without the distraction of speaking or texting on their cell phones. Kim has written to her local state representative and senator in hopes of having this in place soon.
Kim Schlau will present during Lifeline Training's "Ultimate Survival Instincts" Training Courses. This course is designed and taught by police supervisors responsible for lives as well as budgets. They present a very dynamic program that utilizes video, meaningful statistics, case studies and thought-provoking personal experiences in order to impress upon attendees that their personal safety and career survival truly is up to the individual. Kim will present during the "motor vehicle and traffic 'accident'" portion of the program, telling the story of Jessica and Kelli Uhl.
Her ongoing efforts include speaking to new police recruits and to career police officers and sharing the story of her personal tragedy. She has recently spoken to the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy and Southwestern Illinois College Police Academy. In February 2011 she will address the Nevada Department of Public Safety, and also later that month will be serving as a panelist during a discussion of police pursuit policies at the Souther
n Illinois Criminal Justice Summit held in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.
Working with PursuitSAFETY led to Kim's first invitation to speak to recruits. Kim spoke from her heart at the St. Louis County & Municipal Police Academy. Her presentation was graciously received as evidenced by the plaque, which reads in part "please accept our sincere appreciation for your assistance in providing insight into the human side of the training of Basic Police Recruit Class #172." Larger image of plaque.
Kim and her family attended the academy's graduation ceremony where she received this plaque. She has been invited to speak to the new recruits in December.
Kim has established a scholarship at Jessica’s college, is in the process of establishing a scholarship in Kelli’s name, and also works in the community, planning blood drives, memorial events and fundraisers in her daughters’ names. She also reaches out to other families who have lost children to offer sympathy, support, and assistance in setting up scholarships and foundations in their memories.
Kim also writes an online blog—Parachuting Without A Net—where she shares anecdotes about her personal life, including raising her youngest daughter, Madelyn. She also maintains a website dedicated to her daughters—Jessica and Kelli Uhl .
"We are hopeful that this conviction [of ex-Illinois State Police trooper Matt Mitchell] sends a message not only to all first responders and law enforcement officers, but to all drivers. Please slow down, pay attention, put down the phone and drive safely.” —Kimberly Schlau |
Call or send an email to Kim.
Media Interviews
The Today Show
Link to these TV & radio interviews:
KSDK-TV, Channel 5, St. Louis
KMOV-TV, Channel 4, St. Louis
Fox-TV, Channel 2, St. Louis
KMOX Radio
Newspaper interviews
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Belleville News Democrat
Areas of Expertise
Freelance Writer
Assists bereaved families to help them establish memorial fundraisers and foundations in their childrens’ memories
Memberships
St. Louis Bloggers Guild, Board Member
Focus Driven